Device for plucking feathers from birds



NOV. 25, F HSHER 2,618,811

DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHERS FROM BIRDS Filed March 16, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET l rziq-l INVFN TOR. Fosfer fi-DS/f BY r I Nov. 25, 1952- F.FISHER DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHERS FROM BIRDS Filed March 16, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVEN TOR. 7 0s zerj'zz'sher BY Z fifi/ A T TORNEYPatented Nov. 25, 1952 DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHER/S FROM BIRDS FosterFisher, Providence, R. I., assignor of onehalf to Benjamin E. Kinne,Rehoboth, Mass.

Application March 16, 1949, Serial No. 81,767

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for plucking feathers from birds.

One of the objects of this invention is to prov1de a gripping devicewhich will pull from the bird the small or short feathers.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so thatthe feathers will not only be plucked from the bird but also will bedischarged from the device which plucks these feathers.

Another object of this invention is to hold the feathers which areplucked for a suflicient length of time so that they may be controlled.

Another object of this invention is to pluck feathers in a maximumquantity with the power which is provided.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 22 of Figure 3 lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the inner elements of the device andillustrating the casing and the inner frame in section takensubstantially along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the hub which is utilized formounting the plurality of jaws;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevation of the hub shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an edge view of one of the jaws which are to be mounted on ahub of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the jaws shown in Figure 6 as viewed fromthe left end;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the front end portion shown in Figure 2on a larger scale and additionally showing in dotted lines a portion ofthe gear train motion transmitting arrangement of the device;

Figure 9 shows the operating jaws of a modified arrangement;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the arms of the swinging jawshown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing a difierent modifiedarrangement; and

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing a still differentmodified arrangement.

In proceeding with this invention I have provided a first jaw which hasa very small arcuate curvature so that when this jaw is contacted byanother jaw it may grip very close to the skin of the bird. A pluralityof jaws are provided to contact this first jaw, which jaws are mountedupon a hub and are so arranged that they may flex and pass by the firstjaw, while maintaining their gripping relation with the first jaw tocontrol any small feathers which may be plucked from the bird. I preferto provide a belt over the first jaw so that a surface is presentedwhich will move with the flexibly mounted jaws in its movement while incontact with the first jaw. Various forms of jaws to contact the firstjaw may be provided.

With reference to the drawings, l5 designates a frame upon which thevarious parts of the mechanism are mounted including a casing or housingI6 which houses the working mechanism and is secured to the frame byscrew means 11. The end portion 16 of the housing is of a size to begrasped in the hand of the operator and provides a handle for manuallypassing the device over a bird to be plucked. In a forwardly extendingpart l8 of the frame, I have mounted a rubber drum 19 which has a shaft22 extending through the same and journaled in the forwardly extendingpart 18. At the forward end of the device there is mounted a smallroller 20 which is journaled in the forward part [8 of the frame. Thisroller 20 forms a first jaw. A belt 2| extends about the rubber drum l9and over this roller 20.

At a point above the belt 2| and the roller 29 I have provided a hubwhich is fixed to a shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted on the frameportion 18 of the device. As shown, the hub 25 is divided into two partsby annular flanges 23, 23 and 24, 24 (see Figs. 4 and 5). A plurality ofequally spaced shafts 21 (see Fig. 4) are supported on flanges 23, 23 toextend therebetween; similar equally spaced shafts 21 are supported onthe flanges 24, 24' to extend therebetween but are staggered in relationwith the shafts 21, the shafts on one set of flanges being located in aline extending substantially midway between shafts on the other set offlanges as shown in Fig. 4. On each of these shafts 2T, 21' there ismounted for rotation thereon an arm 28,

each identical with the other. There is mounted on the free end portionof each arm a similar jaw 29, the jaws on the arms 28 mounted on theshafts 21' being indicated 29. Each arm 28 is made of a flexiblematerial so as to be in itself flexible and is swung or biased as bymeans of a coil spring 30 to be moved in the direction of rotation ofthe hub 25. Each arm 28 is limited in its arc of movement by reason ofits opposite edges 3|, 3| (see Fig. 7) projecting so as to contactabutments 32, 32' which project radially from the flanges 23, 23' and24, 24' respectively. As previously described, the shafts 21, 2'! arestaggered with relation to each other so that the jaws 29, 29 willalternately engage with the jaw 20.

Each of the jaws 29, 29 is arcuate as at 35 so as to closely fit thecurved surface of the traveling belt 2| as it moves about the roller orjaw 20 and with the ends of the jaws 29, 29 engaging the belt below theaxis of the said jaw 20 (see Fig. 1). The arcuate surface provides forthe feathers to be gripped very close to the skin of the bird. Theforward end portion of the casing is cut away as at It and a comb 36extends over this cut-away portion to prevent engagement of the jawswith the skin of the bird. As the device is advanced into the feathersof the bird lengthwise of the said feathers, the same will projectthrough the teeth of the comb on to the jaw 20 to be gripped between thesaid jaw and the jaws 29, 29 as moved into gripping relation with thejaw 20 to be pulled from the bird upon further movement in the samedirection of the said jaws. The pulled feathers will be carriedrearwardly by the belt 2| to be discharged by gravity through an opening3'! in the bottom wall 39 of the casing. A doctor blade 28 extends intoengagement with the roller 20 to clean the same of any feathers, chaff,and the like material which may lodge thereon and for the said materialto work itself along the said blade 38 to spill over the edges thereofbeyond the edges of the belt and shaken out of the casing through theopening 31. A doctor blade 40 extends into engagement with the outerside of the belt 2| at a location to be in line with the opening 37 toremove from the belt such feathers or foreign matter which may adherethereto and for said matter upon bein removed to fall by gravity actionthrough said opening 31.

A drive for the mechanism, just described, comprises an electric motor4| which is secured on the frame l as by means of screws 4| and extendsinto the end portion l6 of the casing IS. The shaft 42 of the motor hasa gear 43 thereon and through the train of gears 44, 45, and 46, shaft41, bevel gears 48 and 49, and shaft 22, the drum I9 is revolved. Theother end of shaft 22 is geared to drive the shaft 26 through the trainof gears 52, 5|, 52, and 53, as shown in Figure 3. Electric power issupplied through the conduit 54 in which line there is interposed aswitch 55 by reason of the electrical wires 56.

In some cases instead of backing up the flexible arms 28 with coilsprings 30, I may provide arms 60 made of very flexible spring metalmaterial slit as at 59 for flexibility as shown in Figure 10. Jaws maybe formed at their ends by stiffening this material as by folding itback on itself as at 6|. In this case each of the jaws is mounted upon ahexagonal hub 62 along one side of the hex of the hub to extend in theplane of this side, the hub 62 being mounted on the shaft 26' to rotatetherewith. Each of the jaws is reenforced by spring 63 tending to swingthem in the direction of rotation of the hub.

These jaws are limited in their forward movement as by a plate 64 so asto remain somewhat under tension. The arms will each flex after theyhave passed their gripping contact with the roller 20 as they pass alongthe belt 2|, as shown in Figure 9. Each jaw will have an arcuate surface66 to conform closely to the curvature of the roller 20 and the belt 2|which passes over it. In Figure 11 I have shown a further modificationwhich is substantially identical with that shown in Figure 9 with theexception that the flexible arms designated 69' in the figure haverubber jaws 65 provided with an arcuate surface 61.

In Figure 12 I have shown a further modification comprising a hub 10which may be formed of resilient rubber material and having radialprojecting arms H on the end of which are formed arcuate surfaces 12.These arms may also be formed of this same rubber material moldedintegral with the hub so that the arcuate surfaces 12 may contact theroller 28 and then the arms flex, as shown in this Figure 12, in passingbeyond the grip with the jaws, the hub 10 being mounted on a shaft 26".

In all modifications shown the feathers will be pulled during thecontact of the jaws with the roller 20 and then will be maintained incontrolled relation as the jaws flex and keep the plucked feathers onthe belt for an extended length of its movement. The feathers willremain on this belt and fall out of the opening 31 in the casing. Thisdevice may be easily taken in the hand for operation and controlled bythe thumb moving the switch 55.

I claim:

1. A device for plucking feathers comprising a housing, a hollow handleon said housing to be held in the hand to pass said device over the bodyof the bird to be plucked, a revolving first jaw within said housing, aplurality of resilient revolving fingers within said housing movable ina direction towards and past said first jaw to grip matter to be pluckedpositioned between said first jaw and revolving fingers to carry saidmatter past said first jaw, a motor within said handle, and drivingmeans for transferring motion from said motor to said first jaw and saidrevolving fingers for rotating said first jaw and said fingers.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first jaw is an endlessband and said driving means is a gear train.

FOSTER, FISHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,980,034 Budd et a1. Nov. 6,1934 2,521,491 Stukenborg Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 11,143 Great Britain 1887 23,524 Great Britain Oct. 23, 1906

